This official action was implemented following the death of a MWHS family member, who was a veteran, but the family could not find any religious emblem which respectfully and accurately reflected his faith as an African Traditional priest.

"We are pleased and satisfied with the manner in which the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs worked with us to make this happen," states Chief Hunongan-Amengansie priest Zogbe, MWHS founder who maintains both http://www.mamiwata.com & http://www.amegansie.com websites.

What marks this as a special victory, is because the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration's official list of "Available Emblems of Belief For Placement on Government Headstones and Markers" is used by all national and local funeral homes, headstone and headmarker makers all across the nation; thus, making it available to the general public. It's pdf downloadable version will soon reflect (symbol #63), African Ancestral Traditionalists "Nyame" emblem.

MWHS made the decision to enhance and employ the sacred, ancient Akan, Andinkra "Nyame" symbol for God, because of its universal appeal and recognition. The inclusion of this new African Traditionalists emblem will allow for all Americans, who are either practitioners of ATRs (African Traditional Religions), or their family members, to have their headstone or grave marker inscribed with their true religious affiliation, a routine privilege accorded all other faiths.

Its inclusion will also aid genealogists and family history researchers, to learn more about what faiths their ancestors actually practiced, which will further aid them in understanding their family's spiritual history and the vital need to maintain such practices.

The Mami Wata Healers Society of North America Inc., (formerly OATH) founded in 1995, by Mama Zogbe, Chief Hunongan-Amengansie, is a non-profit 501(c)3, originally formed to petition the U.S. Library of Congress to reclassify African Traditional Religions and esoteric sciences from "occult/satanic" etc., in order that they might take their rightful place in the global religious and educational forum as the first indigenous faiths of the world.

In 1999, the MWHS also introduced and popularized the acronym "ATR" (African Traditional Religion) into popular culture, in an attempt to encourage dialogue and to unify all African Diaspora religions into a cooperative body of mutual interest. An old guestbook of their first ATR (African Spirituality) online forum still remains. http://pub31.bravenet.com/guestbook/2631288586/

The MWHS is also committed to the promotion of community awareness through religious tolerance, education and the right to open ceremonial and ritual expression as is accorded all religions. MWHS also provides a wide variety of spiritual services available to all regardless of religious preference.

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